Game apparatus.



G, MUTTER. ,GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1s, 1911.

1,021,788.. A Patented Apr. 2, 41,912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/Tygl C. MUTTER.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1s, 1911. 1 ,O2 1,788.

Patented Apr. `2,` 1912.

CHARLES MUTTER, 0F PATERSON, NEW JERSEYI.

GAME APPARATUS.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application led May 18, 1911. Serial No. 628,003.

To all whom 'it may concern:

`Be it known that I, CHARLES MUTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptioin of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates kto improvements in game apparatus and particularly to a combination bowling alley and shuflie board.

One object of the invention is to provide a bowling alley or board having a downwardly inclined delivery end and a pin and ball receiving box or pocket detachably secured thereto and adapted to be readily removed and the device converted into a shuffle board.

Another' object is to provide an apparatus of this character having an improved construction of puddle runs or gutters arranged along the sides of the board, said gutters being provided with means whereby the speed of the balls which roll off from the board will be reduced as they roll toward the pin box or pocket.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. n

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side view of my improved game apparatus; Fig.r2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a central vertical 'longitudinal section, showing the detachable section and pin box of the board removed; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on thei line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 3*5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the' gutters along the side of the board showing the inclined arrangement of one of the ball supporting tracks therein.

tion for a shuffle board upon a series of supporting legs 2. The section l of the board may be of any desired length and width and at the ydelivery end thereof is adapted to be detachably secured an inclined delivery section 3 constructed in the same manner as the section l. By this means a bowler willr be aiforded room to swing his arm in delivering the ball and the danger of striking his'fingers upon a squarely cut off end is entirely eliminated.

In forming the joint between the sections l and 3 of the board the end of the section 1 is notched or rabbeted transversely on its upper side while the engaging end of the section 3 is notched or rabbeted transversely on its under side whereby when said parts are brought together a flush connection or engagement between the meeting ends of the sections will be formed. The section 3 is detachably secured'to the section l by dowel pins, screws or similar fastening devices or in any other suitable manner. The outer portion of the section 3 is supported on suitabley legs 4 and the outer end thereof thus held at the proper distance from the ground. On the opposite end of the board is arranged a pin and ball receiving box or pocket 5, detachably secured to the end of the section 1 of the board in any suitable manner. The outer side pieces 6 of the sections 1 andV 3 of the board form the inner walls of puddle runs or ball receiving gutters 7. Said gutters comprise in addition to the side pieces G, outer side pieces 8 the base board 9 forming the bottoms. Secured to the sides 6 are inner track members 10 while to the inner surface of the outer sides S are secured cooperating track members ll. The track members 10 and 1l are preferably formed of half round strips and the members 10 secured to the side pieces 6 extend even or parallel with the upper edges of said side pieces along the entire length of the board, while the members 1l on the outer side pieces 8 inoline slightly from the delivery end ofthe board toward the opposite end as shown. By thus arranging the track members the speed of the balls which run off from the sides of the board and into the gutters is reduced as the balls roll toward the pin box or pocket thus preventing said balls from forcibly striking the end of the box. The outer side pieces 8 of the gutters 7 are of greater height than the side pieces 6 and thus prevent the balls from rolling over or across the gutters.

Secured to the side piece 8 of one of the gutters or runs 7 are a series of track supporting posts or standards 12 the upper ends of which are forked and have secured thereto longitudinally disposed track bars 13 which form the return chute for the balls. The bars 13 are preferably in the form of half round strips and are connected together at the delivery end of the board by a metal plate 1a which is preferably provided with a lining of leather whereby the balls are V stopped when they reach the delivery end of the chute. The track bars 13 are supported at a sufficient angle or inclined downwardly toward the delivery end of the board to a sufficient extent to cause the balls to roll back to this end of the board when placed in the tracks at the pin box end of the board.

If desired a suitably elevated platform 16 may be arranged at the delivery end of the board and a railing arranged along the outer side of the platform as shown. By detachably securing the inclined delivery end of the board to the main section thereof and detachably securing the `pin box or pocket to the opposite end, these parts may be removed and the board quickly and easily converted into a shufie board, thus enabling the apparatus to be used both for a bowling alley and for a shuffle board.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A game apparatus of the character described comprising a main stationary section, and a downwardly inclined end section adapted to be detachably secured to said main section to form the delivery end of the apparatus when employed as a bowling alley, and to be removed when the apparatus is employed as a shuffle board.

2. A bowling alley comprising a board,

ball receiving gutters arranged along the sides of said board, track members secured to the inner sides of said gutters, one of said members extending parallel and on a level with the board, while the other track member is inclined downwardly from the delivery end of the board toward the opposite end thereof whereby the speed of the balls rolling into said gutters will be decreased as the balls roll toward the outer end of the board.

3. A combination bowling alley and shuffle board comprising a main section, a series of legs to support said section at the desired elevation, an inclined section detachably secured to one end of said main section to form the delivery end of the apparatus when the same is employed as a bowling alley, a pin box detachably secured to the opposite end of said main section, ball receiving gutters secured to the opposite sides of said sections, means in said glitters to retard the speed of the balls rolling therein toward the pin box end of the board, a ball return chute-secured to one side of said board, and a platform arranged at the delivery end thereof.

4. A combination bowling alley and shuffle board comprising a main section, a series of legs to support said section at the desired elevation, an inclined section detachably secured to one end of said main section to form the delivery end of the apparatus when the same is employed as a bowling alley, a pin box detachably secured to the opposite end of said main section, ball receiving gutters secured to the opposite sides of said sections, means in said gutters to retard the speed of the balls rolling therein toward the pin box end of the board, a series of track supporting standards secured to the gutter at one side of the table, said standards having forkedupper ends, inclined ball receiving tracks secured to said forked ends of the standards, and a curved stop plate connecting the ends of said track at the delivery end of the apparatus.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES MUTTER.

Witnesses VILLIAM KLEPPER, WILLIAM CHAPMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

